I eat the leftover deer from last night and turn away from Craig. "I was looking for men that had a mark on them." I then turn to face him and nod at his tattoo, "You know, you should really cover that up. Especially at the border," I give him a meaningful look, then get up to give water to my horse.

how did she know about that mark? I wondered. looking down on my tattoo i thought about its history: It was the old mark for an elite swordsman. Only one excepted into the guild or a family member of one could wear it. The guild had been disbanded for years since the government had burned the hideout down and not many of the members were still alive. The government had made it illegal to wear one and if an officer saw it it branded you a terrorist of the country. "I know that I shouldn't have it in view" I said putting my jacket on over it. "you shouldn't be out looking for people with this mark either not many left alive with it on them. I only know of two people who are left alive with this mark one of them being me." I said angrily. Good thing i didn't tell her my real name i thought to myself considering she knew about the mark.

As he puts his jacket on I lightly touch my armband that's covering my own tattoo. My tattoo represented a different purpose created by government, it signaled me as a feral guardian to protect it. That was...Until I became an ex-bounty hunter that is... "Oy!" I shout. I kick into my horses side and ask, "Who's the other, one?" I ask hopeful.

I debate if I should really be following this man. There were some who could kill with just a flick of their sword, at unbelievable speeds. Feral guards were almost equal matches, depending upon training. But if he was one of the few survivors... I then frown remembering that it was one of his family members that is left and tears swell up in my eyes, So it is true. I think to myself.

As I ride along is see a scout patrol up ahead. I stop and wait for sazz to catch up. She stops beside me it looked as though she might have been crying maybe I shouldn't of been so harsh with my words I thought. "there is a guard patrol up ahead. Looks like we are gonna have no choice but to fight them ill run up and fight em head on while u sneak around to flank them" I said doubting that she would be of any help at all

I glare at Craig and drop off my horse, "Too bad it's not night," I grumble. I nod in agreement though and drop on my knees, crawling slowly through the grass. It's only four or five men. But they're heavily guarded with maces and steel armor. A twig snaps beneath me, and the patrolmen stop dead in their tracks.

"Hear that?" one whispers.Another man shoves him, "Quiet you big bloke, we're in the middle of nowhere, there aint gon be shit for miles,"

I sigh in relief as they keep moving slowly, but on high alert for any run-aways. I look over at Craig who I see standing by the horses still. I get his attention and signal that I'm readyily behind the patrol.

I get the signal and I casual walk up to the guards. "good afternoon" I say. "get him" said the middle guard. "no time to chat then" I say as all five rush at me I then instantly have my sword in front of me reading for there swing

Stealthly I unsheath my dagger and roll my eyes at Craig's usual cockiness. I then slowly make my way through the blades of grass and roll my fingers between the dagger's handle. As Craig hold's the men's attention. With a bit of the luck of our draw I grab the back two men's shoulders who weren't paying attention and slice through their necks. Three to go only...But then again. I only have a dagger.

Two of the remaining three men rush me and I block the swings of their maces with my sword. I then swing low and trip them and they fall ontop of each other I then finish them both off with one swing of my sword. The last man had turned around and was in mid swing to hit sazz's arm.

I hear a woosh of the maces bludgeoning swing as I twirl to the left to dodge it. His mace goes into the ground with a loud thud, luckily maces weigh people down. Knowing this I kick him hard in the back, I hear his back bones crack and he files forward into a ditch. I then jump onto his back and finish him off with a quick dagger plunge.

I get up, and wipe the sweat off my forehead. "Your not too shabby," I say and give Craig my first smile, then sheath my dagger.

"not bad yourself" I say knowing that I easily could of just taken all of em myself. "what have we here" I say picking up a a bag that was by the patrol's horses. I open the bag "ah told you no need to hunt" is say tossing her the bag that was filled with military rations. I then whistle for my horse to come over and I hop on its back in one jump making it look effortless. "shall we continue ?"

I put the bag of rations into my back pack and pull out a water bottle, taking a quick swig then put it back. "Spirit!" I yell and my horse gallops toward me. I pet her gently first then hop onto her. "Where to?" I ask Craig.

"And i'm sure it will get the hell of a lot more harder the closer we get," I comment to myself.

As we near the swamp there is a fork in the road with a sign that gives us directions to either Fort Longert or The Border.I look at Craig, "I could have sworn it was the other way around, did someone switch the signs directions?" I ask, and hop off my horse. I look around at the terrain and notice it's just like any other swamp; muddy, watery, full of flies, and fallen trees here and there.

"We just follow the swamp I know it very well" i said "oh and by the way watch out for alligators" just as I finished saying that an alligator jumped out of the water and clamped its mouth around sazz's arm her arm band and all

"I jump off the horse and pull out my sword while in the air and stab the alligator it bits her arm then lets go and i slice its head off. her armband had now been gone and she was bleeding. Here wrap this around your arm I say pulling a cloth out of my pocket then I saw it the mark on her arm through the gaps in her fingers that were trying to cover it. I knock her to the ground and step on her chest so she cant move. I then raise my sword so that in one swipe I could kill her. "here is where you want to choose your words very carefully" I say.

I smile slyly at him. "Knew it'd happen eventually," I breathe hard as his foot presses harder upon my chest. "Yes, it is what it looks like...The government ingsigna...And there for good reasons." I cough hoarsley, as I feel more blood draining from my body. "I joined because everyone in my family did...Everyone, Except my younger sister, she went with your side," I nod my head toward his own tattoo. "She beleived the government was wrongful for their actions...So did I."

"She informed me all about the guild...It's intentions...Then knowing that one day the guild would soon be discovered, I then joined the government's side to protect her from my own side's evil intentions. I got her out of everything," "Then there was a tip off that the guild found out about our formation so we made insignas similar to yours to get pass the clan...slay you all." My sight starts to go fuzzy. "I stood back and watched of course...Until I found out that the government took her, and held her captive." I cough again as you press upon my chest harder. "Until recently I heard about a mass breakout from the prison. Most guild members were killed though...I was hoping she was still alive," Then I lose sight completely.

As she passed out and for some reason I decided not to kill her even though she was my worst enemy. In the old days I would of killed her and not thought twice about it but recently I have been having a change of heart I thought to myself. I then wrapped her arm in the cloth to stop the bleeding it would scab over and heal with time she would all right. Do I just leave her here?, I decided not to again being way nicer then I would of been. I carry her over to a tree and make camp for the night since it was going to be dark soon I set her down on the grass propped up against the tree and tied up the horses. I then took the rains from her horse and tied her to the tree so she couldn't make any sudden moves when she woke up. I leaned against my horse and starting eating a pouch of food. Good thing I hadnt told her my real name she would of turned me in for the reward that's on my head. after all I am a legend I thought to myself.

I wake up confused. Wasn't I? I look down at my arm and see that it has a bloody bandage wrapped tightly on it. I smirk. I Knew he'd have a soft spot. I try to get up, but noticed I'm tightly bonded against a tree. Of Course, I'll be his prisoner now, I think, then slump back down on the ground. "So, you decided to keep me alive then?" I ask smirking.

"would you rather I kill you ?, I could do it now to end your pain and I'd still sleep well at night" I said. "how many people have you killed huh ?" "how many of my friends and family ?" I yelled in anger. "Filthy government scum"